17th Precinct
by Clow Angel
Summary: A sixteen year old Okita Sougo stood in his kitchen, eyes wide and fearful as he took in the still form of his beloved elder sister. Gintama set in Modern day New York City featuring our favorite pair of sadists: GintokixSougo.
1. Prologue

**AN: **Been a while, huh? I actually have several unfinished Sadist Pair one-shots but got stuck somewhere on page four, so I started an entirely new multi-chaptered story! I hope you enjoy this one!

**Warning(s):** AU, Modern New York City. I do not know a _thing_ about the police force, so know that likely nothing is accurate! I only did a _small_ bit of research (unit names only). If anyone knows more about the NYPD, please let me know so I can correct the information.

**Pairing(s):** Gintoki x Sougo, slight Gintoki x Hijikata, and whatever else pops up.

**Background Information:  
**Sougo Okita – Age 22, Detective  
Toushiro Hijikata – Age 25, Detective  
Gintoki Sakata – Age 29, Chief of Detective Bureau  
Kagura Yato – Age 21, Trainer? Not quite sure what she does yet.  
Shinpachi Shimura – Age 21, Secretary for Gintoki, Desk Jobs

**17th Precinct** **– Prologue  
**Written by _Clow Angel_

Red.

Crimson… A deep, dark red. It painted every surface in arcs and splatters, smeared across counters and tiled floors.

A sixteen year old Okita Sougo stood in his kitchen, eyes wide and fearful as he took in the still form of his beloved elder sister. Red continued to flow freely from an open wound on her chest right above her left breast. The metallic tang of blood filled his nostrils.

"S-sis?" he stammered, taking one step forward, then another, and another until he towered over her, casting eerie shadows over her pale skin. He knelt on the shockingly cold kitchen floor, uncaring of the blood seeping into his jeans.

Black invaded his vision soon, clouding his thoughts, blurring his vision.

When Sougo next awoke, it was to whiteness. The sheets he was carefully tucked under were a clean white. The walls surrounding him were just as white if not whiter. All the whiteness was closing in on him. He forced his eyes shut. Immediately, visions of crimson assaulted his senses. "Sis…" he whispered into the empty room. What happened to his dear sister?

Exhaustion soon claimed him, eating away his mental strength. Before his mind completely shut down, he caught a glimpse of shining silver and twin orbs of ruby in the white doorway. It stood out in stark contrast against the plain white. And then he saw no more.

Outside the painfully white room where a teenage boy slept fitfully, Gintoki Sakata stood with his back to the door.

'_Poor kid._' Coming home to find your sister bathed in a pool of her own blood must have been traumatizing. It was unfortunate they couldn't prevent the crime, but at the very least, the girl's life was saved. But it was equally, if not more unfortunate, that a young boy would forever have that terrible memory.

Gintoki sighed, staring up into the fluorescent lights lighting the hospital halls. He hoped he would never see the pair of siblings again, just like he hoped to never see all the previous victims ever again.

**Several years later…**

The door opened with a bang, emitting one Isao Kondo into the room. The man grinned cheerfully and tossed a folder onto the messy desk stacked with imported Shounen Jump magazines.

"Hey Sakata! Here's the file for the kid transferring over to your unit from mine."

Gintoki blinked once in reply. "Eh? A transfer?"

"Hey, don't give me that look. I told you about it last month."

The silver-haired man groaned, tossing his current read onto his desk and knocking over an empty paper cup. "Ah, come _on_. I don't want any more people! Last month, I got someone transferred over already. What's with these transfers? Why my unit? We're not looking for people. At least last time I checked, we weren't."

Isao scoffed, plopping into one of the sinfully comfy couches in front of the desk. "You just don't want to remember anymore names."

"So sue me for my bad memory. And why's everyone in this station Japanese? The names are so damn hard to remember. We're in New York City!"

"Just read the file!"

"Fine, you stupid gorilla," he grumbled, finally picking up the folder and flipping it open. A strikingly familiar face looked back at him. Although his memory concerning people usually really sucked, Gintoki could remember all the cases' victims and their close relations he dealt with.

"—good kid with a bit of a social problem, but I think he'd be great for—"

Isao stopped in his rant when he noticed the unusually quiet man across from him. "Sakata?"

"Gorilla, when did this kid join your unit?" His red eyes remained on the profile picture. His eyes quickly darted over to the basic information.

**Name: Sougo Okita  
Age: 22**

'_The kid was only twenty-two and already going into the Detective Bureau. That event must have been the primary force behind his decision.'_

"Uh, last year. Why?"

"Nothing," he replied carelessly. "Was just wondering since he's so young."

"He was top of his class in the Police Academy. He's our resident genius, but he sucks at Hostage Negotiations. He really doesn't belong in my unit. I don't even get why he was placed in it. He wanted to be in yours since the beginning."

Gintoki sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll take him."

"Eh… really?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?!" The young chief tossed the file at Isao's head irritably.

The file was immediately tossed back. "Sign the papers then! And keep the rest of it, idiot!"

"Right, right." Rummaging around his desk and drawers, he finally procured a pen and signed on the dotted lines. "There," he said with a note of finality, removed the documents clipped to the front of the folder and tossed the documents back. He shoved the folder into an open drawer. He'll read it later.

"Thanks. The kid will have a bright future, I just know it."

"We'll see about that."

The man was suddenly hit by a wave of tears, and he sniffled loudly. "I'll miss him."

"Oi! Why are you crying?! You're only downstairs. You can visit, you retard."

The tears immediately dried. "Oh right! Hahahaha!"

'_I'm surrounded by insane people.'_

**Three days later…**

Sougo Okita stood at attention before a large mahogany desk, eyes staring straight ahead.

"At ease, this isn't the military. And I hate all the formality."

"Yes sir," the wheat-haired male replied immediately.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take a seat."

"Uh, yes sir."

"I looked through your file. You have an excellent track record with grades that placed you at the top of your class in the Police Academy. Except you really, really sucked at Hostage Negotiation—like, seriously sucked."

The garnet-eyed man didn't say a word in reply, only nodded.

'_The hell? No reaction? That won't do.'_ Gintoki remembered a much more emotional teenager, not this stoic man in front of him. Then again, the circumstances under which they met were less than ideal so what he saw and what the boy really was, was likely different. The kid didn't even seem to remember him. Well, understandable. Sougo was pretty hysterical when they had met. He likely didn't remember any of the detectives and police he had met that day.

Gintoki flipped through the transfer's file. He remembered there was some information that might be useful in this situation. There was _something_… Aha!

**It is reported that Okita Sougo had a deep rivalry with another cadet, Toushiro Hijikata.**

Gintoki picked up the phone lying on his desk and dialed his secretary's number. "Get Toushi in here." He felt slightly bad for Toushiro, but it was for a good cause. The kid was too uptight. Hopefully, he'd loosen up in the presence of someone familiar—even if it was a hated presence.

There was a series of knocks minutes later.

"Come in, come in."

"What did you wa—"

Sapphire eyes met garnet ones, and all hell broke loose.

"You!" Sougo had stood abruptly and pointed an accusing finger at Hijikata.

Gintoki positively cackled, drawing the attention of the other two men in the room.

Sougo eyed his new chief warily, not liking the foreboding feeling he was getting.

Lacing his fingers together, Gintoki rested his chin against the back of his hands. "Sougo Okita and Toushiro Hijikata, you are now partners." He grinned.

Suddenly, Sougo seriously regretted his decision to transfer.


	2. Chapter I

**AN: **Second chapter! This was written before the Prologue actually, so… there is some repetition of facts and shit like that. You know, I need to keep correcting myself when writing their names. I'm so used to saying Sakata Gintoki, but now I need to write Gintoki Sakata. The same goes for every single other name!

You'll notice I will sometimes use last names only. I'd like to think that's self-explanatory enough so I'm not going to explain why.

I am sooo stretching the characters to their limits while not making them OOC. It's quite fun, but ridiculously hard too. Placing them in Modern NYC is a big challenge.

**Warning(s):** AU, Modern New York City. I do not know a _thing_ about the police force, so know that likely nothing is accurate! I only did a _small_ bit of research (unit names only).

**Pairing(s):** Gintoki x Sougo, slight Gintoki x Hijikata, and whatever else pops up.

**Background Information:  
**Sougo Okita – Age 22, Detective  
Toushiro Hijikata – Age 25, Detective  
Gintoki Sakata – Age 29, Chief of Detective Bureau  
Kagura Yato – Age 21, Trainer? K-9 Unit? Not quite sure what she does yet.  
Shinpachi Shimura – Age 21, Secretary for Gintoki, Desk Jobs

**17****th**** Precinct – Chapter 01  
**Written by _Clow Angel_

It was an ordinary day as far as Sougo Okita could tell. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and it was seven o'clock in the morning. He could hear cars rushing by already, their passengers eager to get to their early destinations. He blinked blearily, yawning as he sat up and stretched his stiff muscles. At least he slept a dream-free night—a rare thing nowadays ever since he had transferred into a different unit at his job.

Pushing the covers aside, the young man climbed out of bed. He rubbed his eyes, blinking blearily again as the sunlight assaulted him from the open window. He sat still for a moment, listening for the signs of breakfast being prepared downstairs. He smiled to himself when he heard the sink running and the rhythmic chopping that accompanied the aroma of sizzling bacon.

It wasn't long before Sougo arrived at the 17th Precinct, his station, where he worked his dream job as a detective. He mentally sighed as he ascended the steps and into the building.

He was currently in the Detective Bureau for two weeks now—having transferred out of the Hostage Negotiation Team—the department he had wanted to be in. Why they had placed him in Hostage Negotiation was beyond him; his personality was, to say the least, unsuitable for the unit. Unfortunately his newly appointed partner was Toushiro Hijikata, another Japanese man he was unfortunately familiar with. Their chief found it right hilarious to put former academy rivals together as a unit. Well, he wasn't laughing.

Sougo scowled as soon as his desk came into view. His partner, sitting at the desk across from his looked up at his entrance and promptly ignored him. His colleagues, meanwhile, greeted him with various tones of 'Good morning, Sougo!'—all of which he returned with a nod. So sue him for not being talkative.

Carmen, one of the few non-Japanese personnel in the building—why there were so many Asians, Sougo didn't know—rolled over in her chair and smiled impishly at him as she turned her head, her blonde ponytail swaying with the movement. "The chief wants to see you. He's working you hard for a newbie."

The wheat-haired young man shrugged, quite happy with being called on. When he turned to his partner's desk, Hijikata was already halfway down the hall and heading to the chief's office. He mentally scowled and quickly followed. Toushiro Hijikata was someone he could say he 'loved to hate'. No one questioned it because who in their right minds would question the block of ice and the resident sadist? Even he himself didn't question it. It simply was.

Before long, the pair arrived at the door. The silver name plate on the door read 'Chief Gintoki Sakata'. Sougo heard Hijikata expel a near-silent sigh before knocking twice. The garnet-eyed teen briefly wondered, not for the first time, why there was always so much one-sided tension between his partner and the chief. Perhaps he should ask one of the others.

A lazy drawl of 'C'mon in' was heard through the door, and his partner hastily pulled the door open, Sougo immediately assuming he was eager to get it over with as quickly as possible. The pair immediately strolled over to the comfy chairs and took a seat like usual.

Sakata Gintoki, the Detective Bureau's Chief was a tall, muscular man with a head of bright silver hair that went every which way. Hating the usual suit and tie that most people wore, he often came to work in his sleepwear or casual clothing. This time, he was in a pair of sweats. The day before, he was in a pair of pajamas decorated with hearts, fluffy pink bunny slippers adorning his feet. For some odd reason, no one ever made fun of him behind his back with flaming homosexual jokes. The one day he came in with a suit and tie, Carmen had nearly fainted, and Hijikata had choked on his cigarette. Sougo had a sneaking suspicion he had only come in dressed properly to give the station a heart attack.

Beside him, Sougo could feel his partner bristle already, and the chief had only said, "Good morning sunshines." Admittedly, he had said it in the most annoying way possible…which was in his patented lazy drawl. Sougo didn't know anyone else who could sound as uncaring and lazy as his chief. He often wondered how he became chief to begin with; he never seemed to do any work. But that hardly mattered right now because he cared more about how the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains on the window reflected off of stray strands of silver hair. Fine, he had a crush on his boss the size of Jupiter for reasons he could not for the life of him figure out. He could totally admit that—to himself at least.

As they sat there somewhat patiently, the chief's nose was pressed into a volume of manga. it wasn't unusual that Gintoki had not even looked up at them yet. It was a wonder how he even knew who was at the door. "Let's see… Why are you here?" Before anyone could answer, "Oh right, I asked for you guys." Without pausing in his reading, he reached into an open drawer and pulled out a file. He tossed said file to Sougo who caught it easily. "You guys take care of that." The silver-haired man shoved the drawer close with a bang. He flipped a page in his book and hummed lightly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sougo could see Hijikata's eye twitch.

Looking up from his reading and looking slightly annoyed, Gintoki made shooing motions with one hand. "Go, shoo." Before they could make it out of the seat, "Wait, Okita. You stay."

"Why does he need to say?" It was the first time Hijikata had spoken all morning, and he sounded suspicious and angry, so angry his tightly clenched fists were shaking. Sougo looked over at the dark-haired man with unconcealed surprise. Didn't he usually rush out of the room before the word 'dismissed' had even been completed? How interesting…

Gintoki's wine-red eyes settled on the now-standing Hijikata. He cocked a brow, waiting for him to say more, daring him to say more.

Not bothering with explaining his sudden outburst, the dark-haired officer turned on his heel with a feral growl, tugged the door open with way more force than necessary and slammed the door shut behind him with even more force.

Sougo's marginally wide eyes immediately swiveled back to his superior's slumped form.

"Fucking drama queen," he heard the chief mutter.

"Excuse me?" he asked with some surprise.

The chief waved aside his question with an uncaring flap of his hand. "So, how's the partnership?"

"We hate each other, chief" he answered immediately, honestly.

"And yet _somehow_ you two have great results."

Sougo nearly scowled but managed to keep his expression neutral. "Doesn't change the fact that we hate each other."

"Well, so long as you continue to solve cases, I don't care," he said with a shrug. "If he gives you _too_ much trouble though… just tell me, and I'll punish him."

Somehow, the way his chief had said that sounded perverse. Maybe he was over thinking it, but he nodded in acknowledgement anyway.

"You shoo now. I need to read the next part."

"Yes sir." Casting one last glance over his shoulder at the relaxed form of his chief, Sougo slipped out of the room.

Back at his desk, Hijikata looked up from the file he had tossed at him with a glare that was more menacing than the usual ones he received. "What did that asshole say to you?"

Should he? Why not. "To tattle on you if you're too much of an ass to me."

"Fucking bastard of a chief," the blue-eyed male growled, shoving a cancer stick between his lips and lighting it with swift, practiced movements. He abruptly stood and marched back in the direction of the chief's office. Before long, muffled shouts could be heard from behind closed doors. There were a few thumps and bangs and more shouting and yelling before silence descended.

Everyone exchanged glances, shrugged and went right back to work. It was a normal occurrence after all.

Sougo dragged the file back onto his desk and went over the assignment. It was another kidnapping case. He couldn't help but wonder why the rich were so defenseless when they could afford to purchase the best security available.

Twenty minutes later, while he was still poring over the file, Hijikata limped back to his seat still scowling, but a lot less angry. There was a bruise quickly forming on the dark-haired man's left cheek and his lip was split and bloody. Even bruised and battered, the man seemed content. Sougo had a sneaking suspicion that a lot more went on behind those closed doors than a mere brawl. A wave of jealousy so hot, it burned, ran through his veins like molten lava.

"What the fuck are you staring at, Sougo?"

"Looks like you got a real beating," he commented lightly instead, not betraying a sliver of his thoughts.

"That asshole doesn't know the meaning of the words 'holding back'," Toushiro spat, touching one finger to his bruising cheek and wincing. "Damn it!"

Sougo snorted. "Uh huh."

The kidnapping case took the partners five days to solve, and it wasn't a happy ending for the kidnapped. By the time they had arrived at the scene, the victim—a pretty seventeen year old heiress to a cosmetic company—had been raped and beaten, but was still alive. Honestly, death would have been better for the woman in Sougo's opinion. She would now have to carry that humiliating pain with her for the rest of her life, provided that she didn't go insane from the memories.

Currently, he and his partner were scouring the crime scene for anything that might prove useful even while knowing the sick fuck would get a one-way ticket to prison. It was just part of the procedure.

The chief was, in an uncharacteristic display of professionalism, barking orders to other units that had the 'luck' of accompanying his unit to the scene. He could understand the Medic Team and Forensics Unit for being there, but for some odd reason, even the Bomb Squad was called on.

Finding nothing else, the partners left the rest to the Forensics team. They descended the stairs and promptly reported what little they found to Gintoki.

"Chief Gintoki, we found several weapons we believe were used against the victim." Sougo handed the sealed plastic bags to the silver-haired man who took them, glanced over the contents and threw them over his shoulder to his male secretary Shinpachi.

"Oi!" the spectacled brunette exclaimed indignantly. "Be careful with evidence!"

"Who the hell cares?" Gintoki retorted, uncaring of who heard. Now that it was almost over, his personality was reverting back to the usual laidback persona of his. "The idiot's going to prison and not coming back out anyway."

"Gintoki! You should watch what you say," someone reprimanded from behind them.

Sougo turned and blinked. A long-haired man was walking swiftly over to their small group with furrowed brows. A man in a white, wide-eyed duck mask with unnaturally hairy legs for an Asian followed closely behind.

"Oh shut up, Zura."

"Who's Zura?" Sougo leaned over and whispered to his partner.

"That's Kotaro _Katsura_, the Bomb Squad's chief," his partner said under his breath.

That was the infamous Katsura? He was reputed to be unforgiving, strict, stubborn, and having flashy entrances, but Sougo didn't see any of that now. He had imagined a stern-faced middle-aged man, not a long-haired man in his twenties grinning brightly enough to rival the sun, with the most strange-looking assistant he'd ever seen in reality or fiction.

"For the last time, my name's Katsura. Honestly, how many times do I need to repeat myself?"

Gintoki waved him aside with a lazy flap of his hand. "Whatever." He patted the long-haired man's shoulder and smirked. "You'll always be Zura."

The other man's brow twitched, his smile dimming to a more bearable level. "You're an annoying ass like always." He brushed his friend's hand off his shoulder irritably (in an entirely playful manner of course).

"Anyway, Elizabeth and I need to go now. Let's have a drink together sometime."

Sougo turned to his partner with a skeptical raised brow. _Elizabeth?_ The masked man's name was Elizabeth? _What the hell?_

Toushiro only shrugged helplessly. He didn't understand either. Better not to question it.

"Sure. See ya." With a backhand wave, Gintoki proceeded to ignore his longtime friend.

And when Kotaro Katsura turned to bark orders at his team, eyes stern and lips thin, Sougo quirked a brow. Okay, _now_ he could see why he had earned such a tough-ass reputation. He watched bemused as a man twice Kotaro's age bowed over and over again in apology while the long-haired man stared expressionlessly at the top of his head.

"Interesting guy," he commented after he was sure Chief Katsura was out of earshot.

Hijikata scoffed. "I hate him."

"You hate everyone," their chief said, butting into the conversation.

"Shut up," the dark-haired man growled.

And the conversation ended there. Everyone soon piled back into their cars and headed back to the Precinct. Although Sougo was sure the Chief didn't care whether he got their report this week or the next, Shinpachi did. He heaved a sigh and watched the scenery roll by as Hijikata drove them back in their squad car.

Upon arriving at their unit's floor, Sougo's expression lost all color. His sister was sitting in the waiting area. Why?

He tried to hide behind his fellow colleagues, but it proved futile. As soon as she heard the many footsteps, she had looked up and spotted him right away. "Sou-chan!" she exclaimed, delighted to see him.

"S-Sou-chan?" Shinpachi repeated, aghast with shock. The entire group had stopped in their tracks and eyed the smiling woman that looked ridiculously similar to their newest transferee.

Sougo sighed and smiled kindly at his elder sister, shocking the pants off of those surrounding him. He'll take care of them later. "What are you doing here, sis?"

"You forgot your lunch."

Oh. He did? Well, he didn't remember taking it with him that morning, so he must have. "You came here for that? Sis, I can always just buy food."

"You shouldn't spend money if you don't need to."

"Yes, sis."

"What the hell is everyone doing crowding the hallway?!" their Chief shouted from behind the nosy crowd. They quickly darted off leaving the pair of siblings. Gintoki strode over to the pair, irritably rubbing the back of his head. "Stupid underlings," he muttered loudly.

"Chief Sakata?" Surprise was evident in the woman's wide eyes.

Wine-red eyes blinked twice. "Mitsuba Okita?"

Sougo eyed the pair suspiciously. He didn't know they knew each other.

She suddenly beamed, her smile bright and happy now that the surprise had passed. "My, it's been several years hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has."

"Chief, what's your relationship with my sis?" Sougo asked suspiciously and not without a hint of a threat in his cold voice.

Mitsuba turned and watched her younger brother with worrying eyes. She hadn't been one-hundred percent sure, but now it was confirmed. After the incident, she had assumed her brother simply didn't want to talk about it. After all, who wanted to talk about something gruesome like that? But as time went on, it became increasingly apparent that it wasn't that he didn't wish to talk about it, but that he didn't remember the entire event. "Sou-chan…"

"What?" He was getting confused.

She shook her head.

And tired of watching the tenseness ease into the woman's shoulders, Gintoki sighed loudly. "C'mon. Let's have some tea in my office."

Shinpachi who had been standing off to the side immediately went ahead to presumably prepare tea for the unexpected guest.


	3. Chapter II

**AN:** Here's chapter two. =) Written on Thanksgiving break, so think of it as a late Thanksgiving present? I really should be working on other stories, but Gintama caught me. By the way, this chapter kinda really sucks. I hate it. If any of you hate it as much as I do, I will rewrite it.

Oh, and a little note about this fic, current fics and my future Gintama fics. I see Gintoki as a man with somewhat/very loose morals. He goes by his own rules, screw the law. And while this attitude of his is a little bit difficult to write into a fic taking place in a Law Enforcement environment, I'm hoping I can still convey the general feel of it. He's one corrupt chief who actually gives a shit about the people. Does that make sense?

And yeah, Kagura's a part of the K-9 Unit with Sadaharu. Not sure how large a part she will have in this story or if she will appear at all. But just in case, that's what she does.

**17****th**** Precinct – Chapter II**  
Written by _Clow Angel_

Mitsuba frowned thoughtfully, glancing back at her brother walking behind them a few paces away. She exchanged a concerned glance with Gintoki who only shook his head imperceptibly. She hadn't expected her brother's chief to be Gintoki Sakata of all people, the one who had inadvertently saved her small family from the life-changing experience that had her bedridden for the majority of two years.

When everyone was seated in the homey office, steaming mugs of tea cradled in palms, silence descended like a thick fog.

Finally Mitsuba spoke, her voice gentle. "Sou-chan, do you remember my…accident?"

Sougo's neck cracked audibly with how quickly his head turned to stare at his sister wide-eyed. "Of course," he replied, his voice hard. How could he forget? Those were images that would likely never disappear from within his memories, like words carved in stone. But what did the accident have to do with anything?

Mitsuba looked to Gintoki imploringly, silently asking the man to help her explain. She was afraid her voice would give out on her at any moment. Just vaguely talking about the accident had images flashing wildly before her eyes, blurring her vision. Her mistake had almost taken her away from her only family left in the world.

Gintoki sighed loudly, almost comically given the serious conversation the siblings were trying to have. "What Mitsuba is trying to say is, 'You have selective memory loss.'"

"I know," the young man replied blankly, not in the least impressed by the fact since he knew quite well he didn't remember everything.

"You know Sou-chan? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Sis, you had enough to worry about. Your health was failing, you were always relapsing, and I was living alone in the empty house. Why would I say anything when you had enough on your plate?"

Mitsuba had enough. She shot of her seat and clung onto her brother with all her strength, enveloping him within her arms. "I'm a failure of a sister," she almost cried.

Sougo wrapped his own arms firmly around the older woman. He sighed, guiding her onto his lap.

"What do you remember?" she asked quietly.

"I remember coming home and seeing you drowning in a pool of your own blood. I remember a few early visits to the hospital. You were so pale, wrapped in bandages and barely breathing. I was hysterical for a long while. That's really it. I don't remember much else, not even how we moved to the new place. I estimate a two to three month gap in my memories. I do remember some smaller things like going to school, but that's it."

"Oh, Sou-chan…" Mitsuba whispered against his shoulder. Why did her brother only remember the horrible memories and not the good ones they had made on the road to recovery?

Gintoki listened, slightly confused. He was no psychiatrist, but he was sure most people tended to forget the most psychologically damaging memories in cases of selective memory loss, but Sougo remembered those and instead forgot the memories in which he and his sister were recovering from the ordeal. All the rehabilitation appointments, the questionings, even the move to a new house—all of those were forgotten.

"Sis, if you're wondering why I can't remember the recovery period, I know why." He had at some point begun rubbing her back in soothing circles, hoping to calm her.

"Why?" she whispered, almost afraid of knowing.

"I used those terrible memories to push myself onto this career path. I wanted to protect you—legally." He smiled kindly against the top of her head. "You're my only family, sis. I can't lose you. I likely subconsciously pushed what good memories I had at the time to the back of my mind so that it wouldn't affect my resolve." Knowing him, that was the truth. He was warped like that.

Mitsuba found herself both touched and horrified. She didn't want to subject her only brother to something like that. Before she could voice her apologies though,

"It was my choice, sis. Don't say you're sorry. But do tell me how you know the Chief. Like seriously, when on earth did you meet this guy?"

Gintoki, who had been mostly silent, decided now was the time to speak up, "My partner at the time and I were the ones who were in charge of the case. We found you both and got you to the hospital. I was the one who questioned you."

Sougo blinked, shocked at the information. He had gone through a few scenarios but none had even hit close to home. "Seriously?"

"Yes seriously," the silver-haired man snapped irritably. "Why the fuck would I lie? I knew who you were the moment your file got to my hands."

"Chief, you could have totally said something."

"Yeah? Like what? You expected me to bring up the case? What a great reunion _that _would have turned out to be."

"…Good point."

"You mean 'great point', right?"

Sougo snorted. "Of course, Chief."

"But," Mitsuba said, and interrupted their bantering, "I'm glad Gintoki's your superior. I know you're in good hands."

Sougo carefully placed his sister on the space next to him, took her hands in his, and looked her in the eyes. "Sis, he is the worst chief in existence. He made my partner Hijikata." A comic book found its way to the side of his head with an audible smack.

Mitsuba blinked, eyes wide with shock, before bursting into gales of laughter.

The tension broke, and the three proceeded to talk well into the afternoon, eating the forgotten bentou, until Mitsuba had to go home to begin preparations for dinner.

Sougo watched her sister leave the precinct's front steps from the window. His thoughts were thrown into turmoil. He knew what he had said just an hour ago was true. He had forgotten for the reasons he had named. However, now he wanted to remember those forgotten months. What had happened? How did he meet his chief? What were his true first impressions of the silver-haired man? Had his obsession for him come from his hidden memories? Was that the reason he had felt so drawn to a man that had at first glance seemed like he had no merits?

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his brooding thoughts. He recognized the rhythm of the footfalls immediately. "What is it Chief?"

"Don't think too hard," Gintoki said, walking over to stand next to the wheat-haired man by the window. He too stared at Mitsuba's retreating form. "We met maybe a handful of times. Most of the time, you were out of your mind. When you weren't throwing shit across rooms, you were brooding in silence."

Sougo found it hard to think of himself throwing anything across a room. "I was that bad?"

"I'm lying. You didn't throw anything," Gintoki said with a grin. "But you were one sulky brat."

"Chief," he growled in warning. If he had something sharp and pointy, he had no doubt he would have stabbed the older man.

Laughing and not the least bit deterred by his subordinate's attitude, Gintoki patted Sougo's shoulder roughly before retreating to his office.

He stared flatly at his boss's back until he disappeared behind his wooden office door. Grumbling irritably under his breath, Sougo strolled back to his cubicle. Immediately, he was swamped by his co-workers and their questions. One glare from him had them scurrying back to their cubicles, however.

Toushiro scoffed at their retreating figures. "Scared rabbits, the lot of you," he muttered loudly.

After staring blankly at the paperwork in front of him for a good two minutes without seeing a thing, Sougo tossed his pen onto the desk and rolled back from it. "Hijikata, I'm heading home."

"Today sucked that bad, huh?" the older man asked instead of questioning his younger partner.

"It sucked donkey ass."

"Heh, get the fuck outta here then."

Sougo rolled his eyes, tossing on his coat and grabbed a few necessities from his desk. "You don't need to tell me twice. See you another day, asshole." Sure he hated his partner, but he also grudgingly respected the ass. He certainly wasn't ever going to admit that out loud to anyone though.

Mitsuba smiled to herself as she prepared dinner for two. The day had gone better than she had thought it would after seeing Gintoki Sakata again. And to think she had only gone to deliver lunch. She hummed lightly as she diced up some vegetables. Although she hadn't seen much of the silver-haired man so many years ago, she had a firm grasp on his personality the few times she did have the chance to speak with him. She had thought him eccentric, but a good man nonetheless. Well, that hadn't changed at all. He didn't even look like he aged. She giggled, remembering the interaction between the Chief and her baby brother. If she didn't know better, she'd say her brother had a crush on the older man. She paused in her chopping, brows drawn together in thought. Wait a second, what if he really d—

"What's so funny, sis?"

She shrieked and nearly jumped a foot into the air. Mitsuba carefully placed the knife on the counter before turning on her amused brother. "Sou-chan! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She frowned a moment later, glancing at the clock on the wall. "You're early today."

"Yeah, I was tired," he replied, hanging his jacket on the coat rack. "Too much on my mind," he said honestly.

"I see," Mitsuba simply said. "How long has it been since Sou-chan's had a crush, I wonder," she remarked wistfully out of nowhere, gazing off into the distance.

Sougo blinked twice, his brain trying to register what his sister had just said and caught himself before he gaped like a fish. "I don't think I've ever had a crush," he replied stiffly.

The elder sister chuckled. "You're right. I don't think you ever have, so I guess this is your first?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked evasively, fighting the urge to fidget.

She shook her head lightly, amused beyond belief. "Do you think I'm blind? You have a crush on Chief Gintoki."

Sougo found himself pouting like a ten year old, unable to say otherwise. For some odd reason, he always reverted to some form of childish behavior in his sister's presence.

"I see I'm right," she said gleefully. Mitsuba was beyond ecstatic. Her baby brother was finally interested in someone. She had begun to suspect her brother of being asexual after going through his teenage years without looking at a girl or even a boy. And when she had searched his room from top to bottom—even checking floorboards and the ceiling—while he was late coming back from Kendo Club in high school without finding a single article of adult material, she was all about ready to confirm his asexuality. In fact she had when, two months later, she found a small bag of torn up love letters in his trashcan.

"I'm so happy!" because her baby brother was _not_ asexual.

Although Sougo loved his sister dearly, he couldn't disregard the fact that she wasn't all there. Any person who ate _that_ much spicy food and hadn't fried their brain or breathed fire was simply _not_ normal.

He was almost afraid to ask, "Why?"

"Because you're not asexual like I thought you were. You have no idea how much I wanted you to have a normal teenage life with a girlfriend or boyfriend and date and try to sneak out in the middle of the night for some nightly sexcapades."

"Sis!" he exclaimed, horrified. He never wanted to hear his sweet sister saying such…foul things again.

She smiled her trademark sisterly smile and took his hand in hers, bringing her brother's larger hand to her cheek. "What I meant to say is: I've always wanted you to have a normal teenage life where you dated, hung out with friends, and did normal teenage things. Instead, all you did was look after me."

He said nothing to that because he didn't have a reply. He never wanted to do normal teenage things. He had wanted to grow up fast and protect his dear sister. And he supposed now that he was grown and able to protect her, he was finally allowing himself to be distracted by things like love interests.

"Okay fine," he acquiesced. "You're right. I have a crush on the Chief but he has, like, six sex partners anyway," Okay so maybe the man only had two or three, but the point was, "I don't think he's the type to date seriously."

Mitsuba blinked. "Six?" she repeated, slightly baffled as to how a man could handle that many people.

"Okay, maybe only two or three." And one of them was definitely his partner Hijikata.

"... That's a little easier to take in," she said slowly.

Yep, that's Chapter II for you. This is being put up without any proofreading, so I'm sorry if it's grammatically incorrect with typos spread throughout. It's 12:19AM so I deserve some slack right? =) Any objections against a Hijikata x Mitsuba side pairing? I feel like they belong together after the series tore them apart in one of those typical dramatic romance scenes. Of course they won't be a couple immediately. I still need Hijikata for all the drama he can cause.

Some feedback would be nice, guys. I'd like to know if you think this is worth continuing.


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